Detachable tractor unit for gun mounts



Jan. 16, 1923.

Pa E. HOLT. Y DETAcHAaLE TRACTOR UNI T FOR GUN MouNTs.

ORIGINAL FILED MAl 22. 1918.

3 sHEETs-sHEET l fj? Ver) .ff ON Jan. 16, 1923. 1,442,570

P. E. HOLT. DETACHABLE TRACTOR UNlT FOR GUN MOUNTS.

OR|G|NAL FILED MAY A22, 1918. 3 SHEETS-SHEET 2 A TTORNE Y Jam. 16, w23. Y 1,442,570

` P. E. HOLT. DETACHABLE TRACTOR UNIT FOR GUN MOUNTS4 OR IAG RAL Fl ED MAY 22 l 91 8 3 SHEETS-SHEET 3 INVENTOR. l

gun carriage.

dan.. 16, 1923.

isaiasi@ STATES PATENT QFFECE.

PLINY E. EIOLT, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOLT IWANUFACTUR-` ING COMPANY, OF STOCKTON` CALIFORNIA, A CORPORATION OF CALIFORNIA.

DETACHABLE TRACTOR UNIT FOR GUN MOUNTS.

Application led May 22, 1918, Serial No. 235,964. Renewed July 2, 1921.

, To 11]/ /rlom 'if may concern.'

Ile it known that I, PLlNY E. Hol/r. a citizen of the llnted States. residing at Stockton, in the county ot' San Joaquin and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Detachable Tractor Units for Gun Mounts. ot' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an independent detachable tractor unit for 'a gun mount to be used in place of the regular round wheels on each side ot the gun carriage; the idea being to develop a Self-propelled gun unit out ot' the regular equipment now in use.

A particular object is to construct a self propelled gun mount that will travel in a forward direction, so that when traveling normally on the road, the gun will be pointed forwardly. instead of rearwardly as in general practice, which will materially reduce the time required normally to move the gun from one firing position to another and thereby .facilitate the handling of the equipment.

Briefly, each unit consists ot an endless chain track of'special design and an elongated truckframe, with the motor, transmission and control units, and features, such as radiators, tanks, etc., mounted inside of the tractor belt, each one ofthe units to be interchangeable with each other. In other words, all the control levers and mount-ings are t0 be in duplicate on each side 'of each tractor unit, so that either one of the two units. comprisin the' complete machine, may be used on eit er side of the The two motors have a counter shaft extending from the front of the motor-to a bevel gear set connected tol a short cross shaft, which cross shaft.- will be connected by a shaft connecting the two units, com-f prising two universals withslip joints be' tween' the two universals, so that .the two motors will be coupled 'together and act in unison. rIlhe steering 'of the tractor is controlled by the main steering friction'between the motor and the gear box.

The motor equipment, as shown in the,

drawings, consists it :IL Cadillac7 lS-'cylinder motor and transmission set, though any selfcontained motor unit may be used in place of this set.

The front end of the gun carriage is Serial N0. 482,192.

mounted on a straight axle which is substltuted for the crank axle u sed on a regular gun carriage. The rear end of the gun carriage is mounted on an equalizing bar vthe contour of the tractor unit.

Fig. 2 is a view with the side plate removed, showing the power unit.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of two tractor units with the gun mounted between same.

Fig'. 4 is a detail view of the quadrant and Outrigger on the gun carriage.

Fig. 5 is a horizontal section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. G is an elevation of the cross bar support for th`e rear end of the gun carriage.

Fig. 7 is a vertical, transverse section through the tractor.

Fig. 8 is a detail View of the motor connecting shaft.

The gun to be transported is indicated at A. this gun being trunnioned in the usual fashion on its carriage 2 which terminates in thev rear in the usual tail-piece 3. 4 is the carriage axle whichI is supported at its ends on self-propelled chain track units, one of which units' is disposed at each side of the gun. Each unit includes an endless chain track, consisting of a double parallel series of conjoined links 10, mounted on overlapping track shoes 11' andhaving rail heads for the pairs of rollers 12 to run on. In short, owing` to the fact that the weight is so great,these tracks. are of` considerable width and require a double set of rail members for the corresponding double set ofwalls of sheet metal 15, and a top plate 16.

On the top of the top plate' 16 are provided suitable guides 17 for the return overhead run portions of the tracks 10. Double drive sprockets are suitably journaled at the rear ends of the trucks for the chain track to pass over; there being corresponding front idlers 19 for the chain track at the forward end of the truck. The space within each truck forms a housing and support for the motor 20, transmission 2i, control lever 22, and drive connections, generally indicated at 23, to the rear sprocket. The control or shift lever 22 and all other levers are as- 'cessible from either side ot the truck frame through an opening 24, at each side thereof; the opening 24 in the truck trame being opposite to each other so that` th'e units comprising the complete machine may be used on either side ofthe gun carriage and the 'controls readily accessible from the operators platform 25 on the gun carriage.

The gun carriage axle 4 is journaled di-V rectly on the lower girders of the truck frame, so that the aun carriage may be tilted in a vertical plane to allow the tailpiece 3 to be elevated. when traveling, and suitably supported on a cross timber 27 fitting in suitable brackets 28 on the sides of the truck housings when the mount is being moved; the pivotal action of the axle 4 on the trucks also allowing the tailpiece to be dropped and suitably anchored in the ground when in firing position. Likewise, the trucks are free to oscillate or move in vertical planes within necessary limits with respect to the gun carriage. the trucks having the axle 4 as their axis of oscillation. The trucks are guided in their vertical movement and maintained in parallelism and suitably spaced from each other and from the gun carriage by means of the outriggers 30, which project into segmental slots or quadrants 3l in the sides of th'e truck frame housings. These outriggers, which are fixed to the carriage, have cross heads 32 working in suitable slides 33 on the inside of the truck housings.

The two motors of the two chain track units are suitably coupled together to act in unison by means of a countershaft 35 which extends forwardly to the front of each motor to a bevel gear set 36, which in turn is connected to a short cross shaft 37. This cross shaft is connected by an intermediate shaft 38 which connects the two units by means of two universals 39 having slip joints 40 between the universals, so as to allow for the natural up and down movements of the two units in their travel over the train.

The cross shaft'?, on each tractor unit, projects slightly beyond the side of the tractor unit and has a complementary end tor readily coupling with a universal 39. This is for the purpose of allowing a unit to be used on either side of the gun carriage. Likewise, it is understood that the axle 4 is insertible is into its-bearings on the truck iframe from either side of the latter.

rThe steering ot each tractor unit is controlled from the lever 42 bythe main steering friction clutch 43 dis sed between the motor and the gear box. he raising and lowering ot the rearend of the gun carriage 1s eii'ected by a suitable screw and handfwheel mechanism indicated at' 44.

From the foregoing nit will be seen that each chain track unit comprises a selfLcontained traction engine, each with its own power plant and operating mechanism, but the two tractors are so harnessed together and controlled by a single operator positioned between them that they operate in unison. By this construction and arrangement the gun and the gun-mount will always move in a forward direction instead of the gun always pointing to the rear as where it is pulled by a traction engine. It the gun is to be advanced it advances pointing in the direction in which it is to shoot and it a retirement is necessary it can be easily backed out of the diliiculties. I

Itis obvious that 'various changes may be made in the detailsoj:l construction and in the form and proportions of the parts without in any wise departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is l. A detachable tractor unit for gun mounts, consisting in the combination with a gunand its carriage, of a pair of indedependent, detachable. self-laying track tractor units, one arranged at each side of the gun carriage and supporting the same, aself-contained .power plant tor each tractor unit and means by whicheither unit may be applied to either side ot' the gun carriage.

2f A detachable tractor unit for gun mounts, lconsisting in the combination with a. gun and its carriage, of afpair of inde- K pendent, detachable, self-laying track traetor units, one arranged ateach side of the gun carriage and supporting the same, means by which either unit may be applied to either side of the gun carriage, a driving motor for each unit and means by 'which the motors ot' the two units may be coupled together to act in unison..

3. A detachable tractor unit for gun mounts comprising, in combination with a gun and its carriage, a pair of detachable chain tractor units, one unit at each side of the gun carriage and on which the carriage is mounted, each unit embodying aself-contained power plant and driving means, and means by which the power plant of the two units `may be coupled together to act in unison.

4. A detachable tractor unit for gun mounts comprising, in combination with a gun and its carriage, a pair of detachable chain track tractor units, one unit at each side of the gun carriage and on whichthe carriage is mounted, each unit embodying a self-contained power plant and driving means, means by which the power plant of the two units may be coupled together lto act in unison, and means by which one operator may control both units.

5. A `detachable tractor unit for gun mounts comprising, in combination with a gun and its carriage, a pair o'f detachable chain track -tractor units, one unit at each side 'of the gun carriage and on which the carriage isv mounted, each unit embodying a self-contained power plant and driving means, means by which the power plant of the two units may be coupled together to act in unison and individual control mea-ns for each unit accessible from the gun carriage. 6. A detachable tractor unit for gun mounts Comprising,'in combination with a gunv and its carriage, a pair of detachable chain track tractor units, one unit atl each side ofthe gun carriage and on which the carriage is mounted, each? unit embodying a self-contained power plant and driving means, and means by which the two units may be coupled together to act in unison, the gun carriage vmounted for plvotal mo*l tionin a vert-ical plane with means on the gun carriage cooperating with the tractor units formaintaining 'the latter in parallelism.

- 7. A tractor mount for guns comprising, in

vcombination with a gun and its carriage, a `pair of detachable self-laying track tracto-r units on which the gun is mounted and by which it is propelled, each unithaving a. self-'contained power plant, and control means, said unitsand gun carriage constructed and arranged whereby a single operator may control both units, the control `ing witnesses.

means foreach unit being accessible from a position on the carriage.

8. In a gun mount, the combination with a gun and its carriage, `of a pair of chain track tractor units, one arranged at each side of the carriage and on which the latter with. the tractor units to form guides to maintain the units in parallelism, and means carried by the tractor units for sustaining the tail-piece of the gun carriage when the gun is traveling.

j A10. In a tractor unit for gun mounts, the Y combination of a truck frame forming a housing for a power plant and transmission set, in combination with lan endless'chain track having a double set. of rail members, the underside of the truck' being provided with a corresponding double set of truck rollers running on the double rail members,V .corresponding rear sprockets and front idlers for the track, with the track returning over the top of the truck, a similar and corresponding tractor and traction unit, a gun supported between the two units, and connections between the units to cause them 'to operate in unison at' the same time permitting each unit to rock in a vertical plane.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscrib- PLINY E. HOLT.

Witnesses:

JOHN H. HERRING. W. W. HEAMH?.v 

